Home»Startups»Peer-to-peer on-demand moving startup Dolly raises $7.5M to expand across the U.S. and globe

Peer-to-peer on-demand moving startup Dolly raises $7.5M to expand across the U.S. and globe

12:12pm, 2nd May, 2019

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(Dolly Photo)

Things are moving at Dolly.

The Seattle startup just raised $7.5 million, bringing its total funding to $20 million. The fresh cash will help the company expand its peer-to-peer moving app internationally.

Like other gig economy startups, Dolly provides an app that connects people in need of services with other people willing to sell them. In Dolly’s case, individuals and businesses who need help moving stuff can find movers with the necessary trucks and equipment.

Unlock Venture Partners, a new Seattle firm, led Dolly’s latest investment round. Unlock co-founder Andy Liu will join Dolly’s board as part of the deal. Original Dolly investors also participated, including Maveron and Amazon Worldwide Consumer CEO Jeff Wilke.

“Industry data shows that people are tired of the same old unpredictable and expensive delivery services,” Liu said in a statement. “So-called last-mile delivery is in desperate need of an upgrade, and Dolly is in a great position to lead this space.”

Dolly has thousands of vetted independent contractors on its platform available to accept requests from customers who need something moved. Dolly’s “Helpers” can make $30 or more per hour if they have a truck and can lift more than 75 pounds.

Dolly’s prices vary on the number and type of items being moved, the number of movers needed, the distance between pickup and drop off, and the service level.

After launching in 2014, Dolly is now operating in 11 U.S. cities. The company said in September that it was producing more than $1 million in revenue per month with more than 100,000 customers.

Dolly’s future in its hometown, Seattle, has been uncertain for the past few months because of an ongoing dispute with state regulators. The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission ordered Dolly to cease operations in March 2018, ruling that the company was a “household goods carrier,” operating without the proper license and requirements. But the WUTC and Dolly seem to have found a path forward.

“We are currently working with the WUTC to comply with their order and how best to re-apply for a household goods moving permit,” said Kevin Shawver, Dolly’s director of marketing.

Dolly is currently available in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Denver, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. The company plans to use the new funding to expand to additional cities in the U.S. and abroad.

The moving services industry is estimated to be worth $12.6 billion, according to the American Moving & Storage Association.